A feeder trail from Wildwood Park to Fort Hunter Park on the Capital Area Greenbelt moved a step ahead Wednesday, as Dauphin County commissioners approved an agreement for design of the project.

The proposed design would take the trail from Fort Hunter along the Susquehanna River side of Front Street, connecting to Wildwood Park after traveling under Linglestown Road at Industrial Road. Space would be available because Front Street widens to four lanes after the Rockville Bridge, which is a vestige of traffic conditions before the routes 22/322 bypass was built in 1978, said Carl Dickson, Dauphin County director of parks and recreation.

Design will be continuing for another year-and-a-half, said Mike Krempasky of the Greenbelt Association, which would be followed by construction.

The association has applied for a $1.5 million grant from PennDOT, and a $500,000 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The project started with a $60,000 gaming grant that paid for an initial safety study, Dickson said.

The feeder trail is part of an effort to update the 100-year-old Greenbelt Trail, which is 20 miles long and crosses five municipalities, and make it safer, Dickson said.

Seven intersections are being
redesigned and will be rebuilt using $785,000 in federal highway
safety funding and $500,000 from DCNR.

New signs are going up at seven intersections, paid for with $47,500 raised by the Greenbelt Association. A kickoff will be at 3 p.m. May 15 at Swenson Plaza at the Walnut Street Bridge.

Another new feeder trail being constructed is from Susquehanna Township to the former State Hospital grounds.

Jeff Haste, chairman of the commissioners, said the project is high on state transportation secretary Barry Schoch’s list.

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